(PRESS RELEASE)NEW YORK — The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) announces the appointment of its new board officers for 2024-2026.
Rebecca Foerster, Chairman, Board of Directors.
Rebecca Foerster, President of Hearts on Fire North America, has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee. Rebecca joined Hearts on Fire in May of 2022, after her three-year role as President of Alrosa North America ended with the closure of the US office that April. Hearts on Fire is one of the largest diamond jewelry brands, is owned by Chow Tai Fook, and is known as “The World’s Most Perfectly Cut Diamond.”
Rebecca is the former Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Marketing for Leo Schachter Diamonds. Before joining Leo Schachter in 2014, she oversaw Diamond Sales and Marketing as the Vice President for the Rio Tinto US Representative Office and was Vice President of Marketing at Frederick Goldman.
Rebecca served as the President of Diamonds Do Good for four years and currently serves on their Executive Committee as Head of Global Partnerships.
Rebecca Foerester remarked “Having served on many boards within our industry, I must say I am extremely honored and excited about my new role with the Jewelers Vigilance Committee. The importance of this organization and the role it plays to support every part of our supply chain to make sure we are aware of significant issues and changes, to protect us and make sure we are compliant with ever-changing rules and legislation has never been more relevant than today. Our industry has become more dynamic, global and complex and the Jewelers Vigilance Committee serves as our ears and eyes to make sure members are up to date with impending change and have the insight and tools they need to respond to them.”
Jenny Luker, Past Chairman
With nearly thirty years of experience devoted to working with jewelry designers, manufacturers and retailers, Jenny Luker holds the position of President of Platinum Guild International USA. In this role, Jenny is responsible for the strategic business development of the platinum jewelry industry in the US. She leads her team in developing innovative marketing and trade programs that create value for the jewelry industry and fosters new generations of consumers.
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Jenny holds a BA from the University of Oklahoma and an MA from California State University at Fullerton, both in Sociology. Jenny is the Past President of the Women’s Jewelry Association, an Executive Board member of Jewelers for Children and member of the 24 Karat Club of New York.
Julie Yoakum, 1st Vice President
As President and Chief Brand Merchant at Helzberg Diamonds, Julie Yoakum is responsible for the organization’s overall merchandising strategy and assortment, brand strategy, creative, and communications. Through drawing upon over 20 years of experience in retail and multiple roles in the branding and strategy field, she has honed her expertise and established herself as a key strategic player in the jewelry industry.
Prior to joining Helzberg Diamonds in 2017, Yoakum served as Chief Merchandising Officer, Creative Services and PR at Blue Nile, Client Services Director at Hornall Andersen Design Works, and Executive Vice President, Merchandising, Product Development, and Sourcing at Eddie Bauer.
Michael Richards, 2nd Vice President
Michael is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Underwood Jewelers in Jacksonville, FL. Michael has 40 years of experience in the jewelry industry and has previously served on the International Board of Directors of the American Gem Society, the Executive Committee of the AGS, and is the immediate past president of the AGS. Michael is also currently serving on the Board of Directors of Theatre Jax having served as both Treasurer and at large on the Executive Committee for the non-profit Community Theatre.
Mark Goldberg, Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair
Mark Goldberg is the Chief Financial Officer of Rolex Watch USA. Mark has been with Rolex since 2005 and has overall responsibility for several operational and strategic functions at Rolex in addition to Finance, and sits on the company’s Board of Directors.
Mark, a CPA, started his career in public accounting with PKF O’Connor Davies in New York and later moved on to PriceWaterhouseCoopers. After leaving the world of public accounting, Mark held several finance positions with manufacturing companies as well as in pharmaceuticals.
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Mark currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Christopher’s Inn in Garrison, NY, a temporary homeless shelter dedicated to the rehabilitation of men in crisis.
Mark is also an active member of the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, the American Watch Association, and Jewelers for Children.
Lisa Wong Lackland, Secretary & Legal Action Committee Chair, Ben Bridge Jeweler
Lisa Lackland is General Counsel of Ben Bridge Jeweler, Inc. Ben Bridge has been in business since 1912 and currently has dozens of luxury jewelry and watch retail locations in the United States. Prior to her in-house career, Lisa was a trial lawyer and commercial litigation partner at Lewis and Roca and other firms in Washington and Nevada. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and Seattle University. She resides in Seattle.
To learn more about the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC), visit here or call 212-997-2002.
About the Jewelers Vigilance Committee
Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) is the jewelry industry’s independent legal expert. For more than 100 years, member-supported JVC has helped jewelers build flourishing businesses that operate with the highest levels of integrity, legal, and regulatory compliance. JVC educates and trains jewelry industry members about their rights and responsibilities as business owners, employers, suppliers, designers, manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of jewelry. As the industry’s legal advocate, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee liaises with U.S. and international judicial and regulatory bodies on issues that impact livelihoods, acting as a mediator to settle jewelry-related disputes, without court intervention. JVC is the industry’s trusted resource, committed to safeguarding the reputation, integrity and vitality of the gem, jewelry, and watch trade.
